As computer connectivity becomes more commonplace, securing computing devices from malicious entities, malware, etc. becomes a more challenging task. One way to increase security is to manage the privileged kernel of an operating system. As a result, ensuring the state of critical applications and being able to attest to their integrity to third parties may increase the security of the operating system as a whole.
Moreover, anti-virus software may be used for well-known types of attacks. However, such software is generally unable to address unknown threats or software that subverts the operating system and the services on which the anti-virus software depends.